NATO chief warns against North Korean troops

The new head of NATO claims that Russian President Vladimir Putin is unable to withstand an attack on Ukraine without help. Secretary-General Mark Rutte confirmed on Monday that North Korean troops had been sent to western Russia. He followed other officials who claimed to be in Kursk, an area that had been attacked by Ukrainian forces.

Rutte said the South Korean delegation informed NATO’s decision-making body, the North Atlantic Council, and representatives of Indo-Pacific partners Japan, Australia and New Zealand about the deployment. “The deepening military cooperation between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to both Indo-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic security,” Rutte said. “It undermines peace on the Korean Peninsula and fuels Russia’s war against Ukraine.”

Rutte called the deployment a “dangerous extension” of the war. He called on Russia and North Korea to “stop these actions immediately.”

Officials with Ukraine’s defense intelligence agency have released what they believe to be intercepted radio communications. They said the video suggests Russian officials are using private trucks to transport North Korean soldiers to the front lines.

Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said U.S. defense leaders are “increasingly concerned” about soldiers being used in combat. She said Ukrainian forces would not face any new restrictions on using U.S. weapons against North Korean soldiers if they entered combat.